Sol Invictus
by Vicent1995
Summary: "Mankind... ¿Upstarts? We were here long before you, long before your protheans. Before you truly became sentient we marched the stars, enacting revenge on our enemies. You may not know this, nor have heard it ever. We don't care. Makind shall rule again and we will rebuild our Empire, wether your council of dilly-dalliers stare." Felix Harkund's intervention in the peace talks.
1. Chapter 1

**The premise for my fanfic is this: what if mankind had developed a full galactic society, similar (somewhat) to that of the protheans? What if the citadel was never encountered, for it never existed? Then this wouldn't be a Mass Effect fanfiction, yes. But what if, during one of the most high pitched battles ever been in the galaxy, something went wrong, and a whole fleet of that human civilization ended up stranded in a foreign galaxy whose ruling body is close to their anathema?**

**This is something of a series of novels I began working in, but somehow I never seem to pull my arse and finish it. It contains both fantastic and sci-fi elements, and I always thought it would make an interesting mix with the ME universe. Here's the timetable of that history. The origin of the homo sapiens species (ours for those that don't know) has been advanced for two hundred millenia. Details about historical facts, characters and forces will be further expanded in "codex entries". First Contact war takes place in the same year for the citadel calendar:**

**Year 330.000 BC: the human race appears on eastern Africa.**

**Year 320.000 BC: the Core-Race appears in their homeplanet, name and location unknown.**

**Year 300.000 BC: the Xirai and Grenan races appear in their respective homeplanets: Therios and Nomnahara, located on the galacitc south. They, alongside mankind and the fabled Core-Race will be the Galaxy's superpowers.**

**Year 280.000 BC: begins human early history. They enter the bronze age.**

**Year 270.000 BC: humans develop their first space program. By this time the other races have just developed their first writing mechanisms.**

**Year 250.000 BC: the Xirai develop their first FTL, by sheer luck. Thus they are the first race to attain FTL travel. Mankind is separated in multiple worlds without a real link. The kjarn, or supreme lord of the xirai, dies with two twins for heirs: the youngest inherits a fleet to colonise, the older, more militaristic one, inherits Therios. Works begin on the mightiest fortress ever known.**

**Year 248.000 BC: the Xirai and the Grenan establish first contact. Diplomatic relations ensue.**

**Year 240.000 BC: after millenia of peaceful expansion accross the galactic east, the Xirai-Grenan empire turns decadent, prefering to enslave all new species. Shortly after, contact is established with mankind. A war ensues and the fractured human worlds are defeated by a true galactic nation.**

**Year 238.005 BC: Ohrian Harkund is born. One of the first generations of slaves who have never known any human who was free.**

**Year 237.980 BC: humans and other slave species rebel against their overlords. The insurgents are crushed ruthlessly and the stragglers are pursued. It's a time of great fear and danger for mankind. Ohrian brands it as the Great Hunt.**

**Year 237.965 BC: Ohrian and his fellow rebels find Savarn and the Temple: an ancient structure built eons ago, which is completely indestructible. Inside it man learns arcane secrets and thus the first mages are born.**

**Year 237.935 BC: Ohrian Harkund returns to Earth, his homeworld and capital of a backwater imperial quadrant (30 worlds approximately). In a single year he and the rebels defeat the occupation forces and free the humans and other slaves.**

**Year 237.930 BC: After five years of constant attacks, Harkund finally repels the Imperial navy. During the battle of Sahn Khairan (Saturn), he alone destroys three Imperial battle-cruisers with his powers. For his prowess in battle and prominence as a scolar of the Jan Khator (or true path, as the study of magic is called), he is proclaimed leader of the human rebellion. He proclaims himself as Emperor, not only of mankind but of all Sahn Khalein (the milky way, called back then as the true home). The formation of the forces begins.**

**Year 237.900 BC: Mankind controls over 500 hundred worlds and his armies are every time bigger. Nearly all their original systems are back on human sovereignty. By this time Ohrian has mastered the Jan Khator, reaching the pinnacle of existance and earning inmortality. The price is just his life. Peace negotiations fail on both sides and Ohrian declares the Grand Conquest. The three Grand Armies are founded. The first one, led by Harkund will become the Khaivaral (the true lords), Harkund's governing body. The second one will become the Imperial Army. The third one will become the Jan Khatorivascar (the guides of the true path), the church formed around the teachings of Ohrian, his descendants and the Jan Khator.**

**Year 234.000 BC: Mankidn now encompases thousands of worlds and counts with a dozen of allies. First and foremost are the Morgians, known in late terran folklore as orcs. By this time, the human forces are spread thin, fighting the waning Xirai empire and the Grenan, and Harkund is compelled to carry project Jormungandr.**

**Year 233.000 BC: After many failures and logisticall nigthmares,Project Jormungandr starts. Over five battle groups (of five vessels each) are commisioned. With their smallest measurement being height, and this one being of 280km, they are considered more worlds on war footing than ships.**

**Year 232.090 BC: after two decades of siege and baleful losses on both sides, Therios falls. Ohrian exterminates its native population. It consisted only of Xirai, for Therios itself had transformed into a planet-sized fortress during the early ages of the empire. Now humans will garrison it.  
>Year 231.800 BC: Mankind now controls most of the galaxy, only remaining the core independent. Tension ensues between the two empires.<strong>

**Year 231.000 BC Mankind and its subordinated allies attack the core. Begins the Thousand Year War.**

**Year 230.100 BC: Starts the Eternal Battle, the longest fight in any conflict ever been before or since. Ohrian fights here his counterpart.**

**Year 230.000 BC: The emperor of the core is defeated. the Imperial casualties escalate to: 17 battle groups of Jormungandr, 40.000 battleships and half a million of other vessels. All in a century of fighting.**

**Year 229.999 BC: Ohrian decrees the Pax Terrana. An age of prosperity, yet oppression, begins.**

**Year 200.000 BC: To celebrat the 30th millenium of the Pax Terrana, fighting games are held in Earth. The winner is Pandora, an enigmatic orphan. Pandora defies the emperor to a duel, claiming she wants to end his tiranny. For ten nights and ten days they fight, pitting their powers against each other. Pandora is mortally wounded yet rises again, shinning with pure light. She then proceeds to defeat the emperor and takes his throne. Reforms are quickly passed, alliances forged and accommodations made. She encounters no opposition: Harkunds reputation was that he was invincible (millions had fought him accross the millenia) and only a miracle could finish him. Little is known that Harkund had deemed unworthy his scions, and made Pandora to be his rightful successor, both for her power and intelligence. Only High Chancelor Kjenan knew it. Yet the emperor gave her a trait more essential to rule: to listen, understand and care for his subjects. Thus begins the Pax Atlantae (the promised ones in old human). The Harkund family still retains a great deal of power.**

**Year 100.000 BC: The emperor is murdered by Lilith Harkund and chaos and strife run amok. The empire crumbles under the flames of war. Hatreds long forgotten resurrect. Earth is ravished in a battle only surpassed by the Endless Battle that finished the Ohrianan Conquests.**

**Year 99.000 BC: Ircelia Harkund reuinifies most of the Empire's holding while fighting a civil war with his "Mother" Lilith. During her rule all records, all of them, related to the core are destroyed. Only a vague mention of it's conquest remains. Ircelia would finally dissappear and all communication with the core are cut. Nobody ever passed the Jarran Line that marks the limits of the Core.**

**Year 11.000 BC: Tharis Harkund starts the Third Empire. He conquers three quartes of the territory outside the Jarran Line, but fails to hold an effective rulership. His methods are despotical even respect the standards of the Harkund Family and thus a civil war ensues between him and his brother Kuran. The youngest spawn of the Harkund, Marethia winds up as the winner by innactivity. After this it is resoluted that there can be only one adult Harkund. All heir must kill the other candidates in other to acheive the throne. The Xirai establish a blocade on earth.**

**Years 1990 and 1996: Gherren Harkund and Felix Harkund are born.**

**Year 2016 AD: After a long time of wars and strife. Mankind's cradle is besieged again from of world. The Xirai Armada bombards Earth and invade the planet when they cannot continue so. The family keeps his efforts on defending the planet. Finally Felix leads a coalition force and frees Earth.**

**Year 2018 AD (actuality): The battle of Xil Pandrang takes places.**

**Okay, perhaps this was a bit tedious, but I felt this was necessary. Note that I'm grossly overresuming. Now will follow the details about the fleets in this world.**

**-Corvettes: light support, guard duty and exploration. Their size varies from navies from the 100m to the 250. Human model: Kanan Class light corvette. Lenght: 140 meters Height 30 meters. Width: 55 meters.**

**-Frigates:support, guard duty and defense. Their size varies from the 300 meters to the 700 meters. Human model: Thorian Class heavy frigate.**

**Length: 600 meters. Height: 150 meters. Widht: 330 meters.**

**-Destroyers: Their size faries from the 900 meters to the kilometer and a half. Human model: Krossov destroyer. Length: 1400 meters (Krossov Prime, a rare variant, reach teh 1500 meters). Height: 280 meters. Width: 550 meters.**

**-Cruisers: Their size varies from the 1600 meters to the 2,5 kilometers. Human model: Zarana light cruiser. Lenght: 1900 meters. Height: 400 meters. Widht: 800 meters.**

**-Battlecruisers: the spine of all fleets. Their size varies from the 2,8 kilometers to the five kilometers. Human model: Ircelia Heavy Battle Cruiser.**

**Length: 3.8km. Height: 0.9km. Widht: 1.7 km**

**-Battleships: They are the punch of a navy, the heaviest thing a country may field unless it has a really old naval tradition. Ranges in size from the 6km to the 19km. Human model: Ohrian battleship. Length:15.5km. Widht:5.5 km. Height: 2.2Km.**

**-Fortresses: fortresses are meant to carry on wars independently. For this, they alone wield a firepower equivalent to whole fleets and shielding unrivalled accross the space. The most known fortress-class vessels are the Jormungandrs, whom were born out of the need to take dozens of systems independently and without losing to much resources. Their dimensions are: Length: 400Km. Width: 650km Height: 280 Km. Their trademark weapon is the Apophis lance: a plasma cannon capable to crack a planet and three moons in a single shot. It makes too an excellent smelting tool, on a planetary scale.  
><strong>

**This is it for now. I think that tommorrow I will post a real chapter. Felix Harkund will be the human representative, and we will know many more things. **


	2. Chapter 2

**If doubts or things are unclear, PM me or send a review. This way I will explain you with a codex entry.**

**Chapter 1.-The day all vanished.**

People his age complained about their mothers being too nosy, about how they didn't let them have their lives as full pledged adults. They may worry about work, or college. Him? Felix had to worry about how they would win a war. He was just 22 years old and had already the command of a whole division. Not because his skills or knowledge, nor his experience. It was his blood. He was a descendant of Ohrian and thus he had been born to rule, if he was elected chief of the family.

Ten thousand years ago (give or take a few centuries), Marethia Harkund proclaimed that the family could no longer rule mankind. This way the Orion Repúblic came to existance. But as the founding mother, Marethia ensured herself and her successors a great deal of power. Nothing less than eight chiefs of the family became presidents of the Repúblic and in two occasions the democrátic government had been ousted and replaced by a Harkund-ruled dictatorship. On the military field, the members of the family had to take command positions, all of them. He commanded a division (which seemed already a ridiculous force for someone so young), but the truth was that his uncle Urien, chief of the Harkunds, initially wanted him to command the Pandrag campaing.

That meant that Urien wanted a boy, barely a virgin when came to command (he was no stranger to war, he was a Harkund after all), to lead a force that numbered a billion and a half individuals and consisted of four hundred vessels whose objective was to conquer three hundred worlds. Okay, Pandrag was a, relatively speaking, new sector of the Xirai, and half its worlds were really sparcely populated, but still... It was too much. And the gist was that, in that scenario, he wouldn't be in command. Nominally speaking yes, but the de facto commander would be the individual in front of him.

He wore his old black uniform, his medals (a few of them anyway) polished and neatly organised. His skin was greenish, like mint, and his eyes were a bright shade of blue. Age had left him completely bald, but not weak, for his jaws seemed capable to crack ten nuts at the same time. He was a morgian, one that had served in the Black Legions,one of their legendary commanders. Gorkan Mog'Oth, ex-general of the Second Othian Black Legion

When they first met, Felix was fourteen and in shackles. He remembered it perfectly. Treason and a major clustefuck were in the middle so it was no surprise. Yet the general didn't make him a prisoner, no, he honored the Khara Naram or truce of true warriors. The old code established by Ohrian himself during his campaign across the galaxy that defended that soldiers must be respected, their causes considered just and civilians protected. That ancient set of guidelines had been parly forgotten nowadays, but the great generals of the galaxy still held dearly to it. The Khara Naram, after all, was what permitted the true forging of the first empire.

He was getting off the rail, wasn't he? It happened often.

There were six persons besides him and Gorkan. One was his childhood friend and bodyguard, Michael Reed, of the Khast Khorum, the clans sworn to serve the family and their scions. Each scion was escorted throught his whole live by one of them, and upon the dead of the scion the bodyguard, hadn't him or her died, was burnt with the corpse. The other five were the commanding officers of his division: Olaf Gormsson, Atalanta Nikeos, Karl Hoffman, Temujin, and Khessios Vank Rieg of Therios.

"Gentlemen, we will arrive to Xil Pandrag, the capital, in one hour."  
>"About bloody time, my men crave for a bloodbath."Roared Olaf.<p>

"And they need it truly, the bath that it is, you smell like a dump."Mocked Atalanta.

"Indeed he does."Accorded Khessios."But we have other concerns.

"Not really, the Atharon will arrive first, so we can expect the enemy to be curbstomped."Pointed Temujin.

Atharon was one of the ten remaining Jormungandr on duty, meaning it had survived millenia of conflict without being blown out to pieces. Building Jormungandr suppossed a great economic toll and only in times of great wars they were build. The last Battlegroup ever made was during Tharris conquests. That is, ten millenia ago. They were properly upkept and updated but no more would come in the foreseeable future, despite the whole galaxy was thrown to a bloody war.

Felix lost little to no time, informing his officers that they would form the first wave. As always his men proved to be too gung-ho for his taste, but he chose them for that very trait, among other things. Jokes aside, the name of the Deadmen suited his forces. He admired that trait, for he always got a bit nervous before battle. During it? No, he delivered himself like a berseker. But always a small shadow of fear remained.

But enough of bickering, he had a battle to be in.

* * *

><p>Fleet admiral Darnan Vank Rieg existed the Higgs Road, that is their FTL mean of travel. In front of them stood the Xirai fleet and Orbital defenses. Five hundred vessels, among which were a dozen and a half battleships. There twenty nine platforms across the orbit, sporting a Hij-Noran plasma cannon, with enough power to rip off a cruisser in a single shot. An easy battle then it would be, thought the Therian admiral.<p>

Without delay nor cerimony, the monstruous ship fired his secondary guns: the Arna cannons, which were the main gun used by the Ohrian-class battleship. About three hundred plasma beams crossed the spaces, blasting apart thirty vessels and five platforms, plus damaging three battlships and a dozen battle-cruisers. Now a hail of plasma and lasers rained upon his stalward shields. Missiles flew but were intercepted by the defense systems. Now on both sides flew the plasma and the Jormungandr was ready to fire both the tertiary and the support guns. The main gun, the Apophis Lance, wasn't used, since using it on any target weaker than a class-1 shield world would be like killing a fly with a cannon. It didn't matter much, considering that right now, over 2.300 guns were firing on the enemy, plus thousands of missiles. In a single broadside, five battleships, a dozen battle-cruisers and thirty other vessels had been obliterated, plus the ODP, which were all destroyed by now. This destruction was completely natural, for only a shield world, a massive force of battleships, or other fortress-class vessels could stop a Jormungandr.

"Sir, the fleet is incoming."Announced Atlas, one of the AIs.

Fine then, soon the battle would end in that case.

And it would, oh yes it would. For the Xirai had a deployed a brand new WMD, the Quasar Bomb. The Xirai fleet charged blindly towards the enemy and once they were close enough the bomb was activated. Yes, the whole taskforce had been crushed by then but a much bigger and powerful enemy had been brought down on its knees.

* * *

><p>"Mike! Mike, dammit respond you fucking slepping turd!"<br>For all response, Felix got punched. Mike was well, then, for that he was relieved. Angry at the punch, but relieved nonetheless. Michael patted his head, and notted a bit of hot blood. It would leave a scar, a nasty one perhaps. Another one to amplify his collection.

"Shit, what the hell happened?" Grumbled Olaf.

For all response there was silence, a tomb-like silence. Everyone stare on the bridge was looking dumbfounded at the window. There was no debris, no vessels drifting towards the sun. But above all else, there was no sign of civilization on Xil Pandrag. It's capital was visible even from space yet there wasn't a trace of it, nor ilumination across the globe. There was nothing else aside from the human fleet save for an alien structure. Bigger than a battleship, it vaguely ressembled a... okay, now Felix couldn't come with a good analogy.

"Sir, reports indicate that we don't receive any kind of signal outside the fleet. Not human, not Morigan nor Xirai or any other species."  
>But how could this be? The other races perhaps were understandable, but humans? With their gear they should be able to communicate effortless with the HQ.<p>

"What the hell happened?"Muttered Felix.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sigh, I had to rewrite it, since I accidentally erased the chapter. Don't ask me how.**

**I want to point that all human vessels are fitted with energy weapons, such as lasers and plasma cannons.**

**Chapter 2.-Raiders.**

It was truly a pandemonium. The bridge of the Atharon was filled with the captains of the four hundred vessels, the top commanders of the land forces, another thousand more. But the biggest noise came from the crowd formed by the 600 representatives of the civilian compliment. Of the 1.5 billion humans that went with the fleet, there was fifth of civilians, who tended to their feeding, clothing and working the workshops of the vessels. Over two thirds of the civilian compliment were from the Atharon, where there was a pressing need of worforce to man the factories, refineries, etc. A Jormungandr, once was said, was a small world. Indeed it was, and ruled by its crew. The council of the Atharon was there too, stading prominently from the other civilians. They were the only civilians that didn't panic around.

Soon the bickering ceased when a figure ascended the command post. He was a young chubby man, with bonewhite skin and charcoal hair. His eyes were blue, pure ice sharper than a dagger. He wore the black uniform and the silver skulls of the Black Guard, a man of the Harkunds' armies. He wasn't rank and file, he was one of the highest ranking officers, nominally at least, of the family, for he was one of the family: Felix Harkund. Many knew him, but none held contempt from him. The terrans knew him from the efforts and manneuvers he had to do in order to save Earth, the ones hailing from other human settlements for his history and that of his ancestors, the greatest, and often worst, rulers of mankind.

"Now people, we may be in a dire imagination."His voice was soft, but he seemed to hold himself back." But we most not panic, nor show sign of it. We are here gathered for two reasons: the first is that we are in a crisis and our people needs a solution; the second, because our equals deem us worthy to represent them, to give us their trust in this dire time, to guide them outside the darkness and danger. I won't lie to you, for anyone in my cabal, or any other cabal in this fleet, could tell you the truth: we are no longer in our world."  
>A sudden gasp was emitted by mostly everyone. They were surprissed, they thought it was impossible, a chimera. Not the idea of "multiple worlds", but the fact that such a great group could have drifted so suddenly. In the past, the core-race taught man about the existance of other worlds, which weren't accessible by conventional means, yet were closer to one's reach than other planets if one tried to use something different:magic. Sorcerors could visit other worlds if they knew the way, or if it was proprely charted. Exactly what those words meant wasn't really clear, for even Ohrian himself saw the concept as something really obscure. During the First Empire there were many experiments, trying to reach other worlds and charting them. For every success, there were a thousand corpses. For every world's path properly charted, there were ten thousand deaths. Until Ohrian came with the Great Lighthouse of Mars. That construct offered the sorceror who tried to travel throught worlds a great vision, being able to see the whole path of a dozen worlds at a time. Its construction, thought being based on trial and error and the sacrifice of literally millions of lives, saved many more and was of the pilars of the Human esplendor of the First Empire.<p>

Alas, the Lighthouse was destroyed during the battle of sol, during the Great Civil War, a hundred millenia ago. That was the biggest confrontation ever been since the Unending battle and marked the end of a golden age, both for man and any other species. The great archives of Lemuria were lost, the gardens of Bhabel razed, Mars ravaged and unable to harbor life again until proper terraforming was made. Earth was driven back to the prehistoric ages, and after the new emerging powers said no to the Harkunds' attempt to recover it...let's simply said the planet was made to its dwellers' own devices. When he had first seen the planet he had been most unimpressed. After all, he had grown to be a Therian,a soldier.

"We will explore the surrounding area in order to find any possible threat."Announced admiral Darnan."Also, we will land several forces on Xil Pandrag to get a working colony. I hereby declare the Hoffman protocol will enter into effect, so all control gets to stay under the Harkund's representative: that is you, Lord Felix."  
>For all response the youngster nodded graciously, but five shades paler than before, and with a glare that phatomed his worries about how much would the young Harkund botch the work.<p>

"We must explore too our homeworld, and Therios and the other major homeworlds!"

It was obvious the reasoning: if one went to an identical galaxy,and all their studies seemed to point that way, he would settle in the most welcoming world, the one that gave birth to their species. But finding another branch of mankind or other species from their galaxy was unlikely. When one travelled to one world to another, it left a trail, something to track his footsteps. This world was completely clean, there was no path, not even theirs.

But they were here, weren't they? So there might be someone else. Darnan made a compromise to send a scouting force to Shalaran, the homeworld of the Nhissian, the closest major power, in their galaxy. And Felix would head it.

Wait. WHAT!?

* * *

><p>"You want me too lead this bunch of drifters, you want to lead the expedition... fine, why you don't put me on charge of the foundries!?"<br>"I need you to act as an icon, something they can cling too."  
>Felix scowled. He was an icon, first, foremost and surely only, for his surname. Only because his family had crushed the skulls of anyone that crossed them for countless generations didn't mean he was a safety tothem.<p>

"I find it absurd, but I accept. Also, I believe that you will have your way easier if they don't use me as a totem to lobby your actions."

"Indeed, Lord Harkund."  
>"Drop that crap Darnan, we know each other since I was a snotty brat of six."<br>"A snotty brat of six guarded by one of the greatest and scary generals of history."His voice became bitter."Bloody asshole had a whole golf bag stuck in his ass, but still it's hard not to miss him."

"He died well. Doing what he was best doing, aside from marshalling, and setting a fucking great example for whoever would fill his shoes."He was close to crying, two years had passed, but still, the scar was fresh."He left a mountain of corpses that accompanied him in the neverending journey."

"Sigmar taught you well, and I'm sure he would taught you how to mourn him."  
>"Yes, he said it many times, but I'm not going to slaughter our crews so I can send him an extra pile of corpses."<p>

* * *

><p>In the end his reccon force consisted of his cruiser, the Argos, a frigate, the Eluvian, and three corvettes, the Eisenstein, Theridor and Kramta. His staff consisted in their captains and his divisional officers. Overall he would hold the life of 20.000 men and women. Alexander the Great had ruled many more at an age roughly his. But of course, he died young too, and his death left a horrible aftermath.<p>

Right now they had been travelling for half a day. He was inspecting the command bridge, A.K.A. wanting to know how much they would take to arrive. At 300 lighyears per day (that figure not being enhanced by a "highway"), they would be back in close to two days. If everything went right, puntualized captain Sei.

Olaf was driking to his heart content, Mike and Khessios surely were accompaining him, trying to match the norweggian consuption, and failing epicly at that. Temujin was surely looking to the tanks and fighters under his command. And Atalanta was probably skulking around or bossing arround the techs to get some improvement for his stealth armor or his lightning claws. Bai Qi was surely drilling the men.

Felix was the commanding officer of the Deadmen division, Michael the master of the strategium, the other five persons commanded the five freat companies that formed it. But there was another section of the division, whose commander was with him.

Alexei Ivankov had always been a hunk, with his muscles, his blonde hair and his blue eyes, when his eyes still had color and were able to see. But Felix thougth that the gifts of sorcerie he had learned overmatched the losses. He had proved to be competent enought to hold the position of master of the cabal of sorcerors, and a damn violinist and pianist. Asshole still played better than him even with the eyes closed. And he was really cocksure. About what? Everything all being said and told.

"Sir, you've gotta see it."Commented Chastix, one of the five AI on board the Argos.  
>Chastix, like most AIs working for humans, or with humans, had adopted a robotic vessel that highly ressembled a hums an. It was made of prothenium and other highly sophisticated alloys that emulated flesh in quite a realisitc way. His vessel was an old fart wearing a confederate uniform. It was fat and bald, both facts compensated by a marvellous bismarckish moustache and his habit of swearing like whole pirate crew.<p>

What caught the attention of the AI was a massive...thing. Yeah, he couldn't come with a proper name now. It was a big white structure, perhaps bigger than a battleship. What it was was clearly an unknown, but surely was important.

"Contact the Eisenstein, I want them to run a close scanner. If the scientists feel like they can, let them approach on a shuttle."  
>"Okay, sir, I'm going to send them to their inminent doom."A moment later he swore." Well, fuck,damn Cressida, that harpy doesn't want to communicate with me."<br>Cressida was one of the two Eisenstein's AIs. And yes, she was pretty uptight.

"Okay, trying againg...okay, now I've sent them to their bloody inminent doom."

* * *

><p>Everyone aboard the Eisenstein.<p>

tein was impressed by the construct. It wasn't the biggest thing they ever saw, but it was quite a sizeable construct. Even Harlot was mildly impressed, and that AI had worked aboard the Thanatos, one of the ten Jormungandr.

Captain Lucía Montenegro was impressed too, but she more annoyed about the whinning of doctor Hsu, and his insistence of learning more about that piece of engineering.

Aparantly he discovered something, for the construct began to move and absorbed them and spat them towards the void.

* * *

><p>"They dissappeared!"Yelped a communications officer.<p>

"No shit Sherlock!"Mocked Alexei.

"Chastix, bring us next to that thing, we are going to their chase."  
>"Are you sure chief? I mean,that recalls me of an Apophis lance, only a bit smaller."<br>"We are going, I'm not abandoning my men to god-knows-what."

'And so shit will hit the fan'. Alexei grimaced, he saw clearly what would happen. But he saw too what would happen if they didn't do it. He simply chose the lesser of two evils. And Felix knew it. Guessed perhaps would be more accurate.

* * *

><p>Captain Jorrhan had attained his first command post two weeks ago,and he was fed up with it already. He had been designated to guard Shan'Xi, a newly colonized world, a backwater among backwaters. All he had were two frigates and as many corvettes, old vessels all. The settlement was small, commanded by a general that went by the name of Wilams. His only job was filling the red tape each day.<p>

He craved for the hunt, the battle, the fires of war. He wanted the glory of the victors. The spoils of the vanquisher. He had cuddled the idea to organize a pirat raid, to get slaves. But there were few worlds around here, and little prospect then. Shan'Xi was only the forward base for something bigger. The batarian hegemony had been trying to open a second relay that was looming in that same system. This backwater would be the gateway to whatever new riches they would find.

There would be no more need to fill red tape or politcking: the relay 314 went active. Hooray for the valiant bastard who opened it from the other side! He needs a prize! And get him a pair of shackles for breaking the law! Oh god, he was going to "arrest" so many people. He gave the order, and his ships charged ahead, firing mock shots.

The lawbreaker was a frigate, a nice piece. It was slick, smooth and stylish. It recalled him of an old arrow or a knife made of pure silver. It was a good piece of technology: it fired at twice the batarians range. Probably it would hit, but it would do next to no-

"Sir, it blew out sections one and two! Kinetic barriers are untouched!"  
>What? How in hell could that happen!?<br>For a few moments, Jorrhan froze, unable to decide nothing. Had he taken any course of action, thing would have been diferent. His inaction would shape the galaxy.

Seconds later, two more frigates emerged with a cruiser, a big one. And behind them came the biggest dreadnought he ever saw.

* * *

><p>"Captain Montenegro! Respond Montenegro!"<br>"Here Eisenstein, we are under attack!"  
>"Bastards."Now Felix was really angry, nobody attacked his soldiers without issuing a warning."I will rip their guts."He took the communicator."Soldiers go straight to your positions! Prepare for combat! WE ARE GOING TO TEAR THEM A NEW ASSHOLE!"<p>

**Here ends chapter 2. Note that the batarians mix classes, since the humans' scale doesn't match theirs.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I need to name ships on the double. If someone has a nice name to come by, review or PM. Say its name, its alleigance (turian, human salarian, etc) and, if you want, a bit of its story.**

**Chapter 3.- The invasion of Shan' Xi.**

Captain Jorrhan's squadron was slaughtered to a man. His frigat, the Pride of Karan, was destroyed by the glaphyte-class plasma gun that served as the main gun of the Argos and all the Zarana-class cruisers. A single shot from the main gun, with another laser strike from the Eisenstein did the trick.

Aboard the Argos the commanding officers were arguin on how to proceed. Olaf and Atalanta wanted to come down and hack and slash everyone. Temujin and Khessios said that they should go down and bomb everyone. Bai Qi said that they should go down and bury alive everyone. Mike and Alexei said that, before going down and kicking everyone's asses, they should send word to admiral Darnan.

Word had been sent too to the Batarian Hegemony, right after the appearence of the Eisenstein and right before the anhilation of Jorhann. Right now, Kar' Shan should be aware that the 314 was activated, and they were being invaded. Mobilizations would start soon and they sent a plea for help to the citadel.

Once the Council got to hear the news, they would prepare themselves and war would begin. They would feel a scenario like the Rachni Wars or the human rebellions was at hand.

* * *

><p>"So you just went straight ahead, ignoring any kind of protocol and shoot the crap out of a species we didn't know anything of."Gorkan's hologram facepalmed."I know I shouldn't leave you alone. Being so happy trigger can happen only in your family."<br>"Yes... about that, I suppose is a bit too late to say I'm sorry."  
>"Those idiots attacked you first, and you were on your right to defend your vessels, but not with full anhilation of the enemy! Now we know nothing and we don't know how to find samples since their archive and databanks will be smithered."<br>"We still have chances, there's a settlement down there. Our AIs have already run scanners on this colony. We know already a few details of this...Batarians, but that was before they shut the communications. Now we need to go down there."

Darnan's hologram flickered for a moment as the admiral turned to speak with someone outside his field of view. He then nodded.

"Okay, you're getting the cruisers Retribution and the Cornerius, I'm sending the supercarrier Domina Nox, and..."He turned around and spoke again to someone else."okay, five frigates and seven corvettes."

Felix made numbers quickly: all their vessels were fully staffed, that meant that each cruiser brought 17.000 soldiers, each frigate brought 2.400 and each corvette carried 200 soldiers. The carrier Domina Nox was a... Cricarva class? yes that was right, so it carried roughly 30.000 soldiers. That meant he would be in comand of nearly a 100.000 soldiers. Shit.

"General Gorkan will come aboard the battleship Hancaran if need be, but with this assets you are on you own."  
>"It will be an overkill, considering the scanners' reports there isn't a mighty defense here, so it's likely to be a minor outpost."<br>"Let's pray it's far from their power core and they take long to reach it. This way you could run away without getting trouble, nevertheless I'm sending you reinforcements."

* * *

><p>General Garro Willam was mobilizing the militias, the slaves, the soldiers, the mechs, everything. Since they got news from the destruction of the squadron above their heads, the general had declared the red alert and began general mobilization, civilian comunications were shut and military ones were reduced to the planet's surface. He was literally blind, unsure wether or not the Hegemony had received the message, he hoped for the early.<p>

"Sir we are receiving reports from the eastern city, Ghavarra."Announced a soldier.  
>"Spit it out."<br>"The city was hit ten minutes ago, and it has fallen."

* * *

><p>Reinforcements would arrive in seventeen hours, but Felix didn't waste a second. He took his division and picked as many drop pods as there were on the Argos. Then he and his men fell from the skies and hit the enemy at its weakest. There were only two major demographic concentrations: the biggest should be the capital and the eastern city they were targetting should be some kind of outpo<p>

It went really quickly. The batarians had been caught off-guard. Before sallying he checked his orichalcum black armor. check. Next was his arm/plasma cannon. Check. Cartridges for the plasma cannon. Check. His waraxe. Check. He barged outside.

"HACK THEM DOWN, BOYS!" Yelled the Harkund from his communicator, the other soldiers, all connect to the battlenet roared in approval."Today we will bathe in their blood!"

Felix swept his axe at the nearest soldier. Flop, off went his head. He felt the lifeforce of the sod vanish and relished in the melody of silence. He extended then his right arm, his prosthetic. A second later sparks flew from it. He recalled the teaching of the senior sorcerors from his cabal when he was a child and relaxed. In two seconds the sparks covered his whole hand and he unleashed them. Twenty batarians were caught in the whip of electricity, screeching in pain and being reduced to ashes.

* * *

><p>Atalanta was raised to be a huntress, to break the spirit of his prey and relish on the feast. As commander of the fourth great company, she printed those tenets over her troops. This way the fourth was the most proficient in ambush, guerrilla and terror tactics. Even her appearence helped the impact on enemy morale: a banshee with a massive scar that literally sawed her nose that charged the enemy at a inhuman speed or backstabbed you when you didn't notice it." She was called demon even by other commanders of the Deadmen. She didn't care, she just cared for her reputation as leader of the fourth great company: the Headhunters.<p>

His forces had landed an hour before, and they did so far from the city. Falling from the sky wasn't really a stealthy method, so they had to cover the distance on foot. Nobody saw them, for they had their stealth devices activated, they were invisible, even using heat goggles.

Now began the show. Felix and the others landed and began wrecking havoc. Her men were ready for the hunt, she just had to issue her standard command. She activated the amplifiers and the voice modifier.

"KIIIIIIIIIIIL!"  
>The sound that came from it was heard across the whole city. The Deadmen shuddered in unison, even the ruthless Bai Qi was slightly startled. The batarians just were out of the fight for close a minute.<p>

Atalanta and her hunters leapt and stalked the city. If she caught a soldier she skinned it, mangling the flesh and tearing the armor. Blood flew by the galon. Dozens of soldiers were downed in less than ten seconds. The Deadman pressed rapidly, slashing with their power-swords and gunning them down with their rail-guns rifles.

* * *

><p>Michael Reed's squad was under heavy fire now. They had landed on one of the most heavily defended parts of the city. Over three hundred men were shooting them. He wouldn't last much longer, his magic was completely focused in maintaining a shield that would protect them. He was the only trained sorceror here so he was on his own.<p>

"Sir! Stop doing that, you need to save energies!"  
>"NOO! I'm not letting them pump us with bulets!"<p>

Marco Dimaggio rolled his eyes. Michael was a good guy, but too focused on preservation. When practising the meele Felix and Alexei used that on his favor.

"Sir, we are called the Deadmen for one good reason."  
>"I know!"<p>

Dimaggio and Okamura didn't want to stand there, so they charged. The batarians focused fire on them, blasting apart chunks of their armors and their bodies. But they kept moving forward, shoting and chopping the enemies with their combat knifes. After a few seconds, Michael said enough.  
>"C'mon men, we won't miss the party!"<br>Now all of them were getting blasted apart. But it did not matter, his soldiers kept charging and shooting and when they were on close quarters they stabbed them with their bayonets. They truly had developed great finesse when managing those weapons.  
>Mike went straight ahed the commander of the force while swinging his two swords. He didn't waste time with show offs of skill, he went directly to the vitals, and mostly the beheading. His armor soon was spattered with blood, both his and theirs.<p>

The batarian commander, instead of running away, decided to face him. Mike allowed him to stab. The cerimonial blade the commander held was stuck right in his heart. For all response, Mike sheathed his left sword and gripped the batarians hilt. He felt a lot of pain when he extracted the blade and inspected it. The blade was completely jagged, nearly broken by the trust. And he wasn't wearing his orichalcum armor, none in the deadmen did so save Felix. Those were too valuable to use in a skirmish this insignificant. With disdain he stabbed the batarian where Mike thought his heart was.

"Mo...monsters!"Muttered the commander.  
>"We are dead men."Responded Mike using his translator dispositives."What did you expect?"<p>

With the commander dead, the batarian soldiers decided to surrender en masse. The hegemony had lost a city and close to a thousand soldiers had died in his defence. The Deadmen lost none.

**Yes, before you ask me, the Deadmen they are Space Zombies led by a Space Lych.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, from this chapter onwards I'm going to write codex entries.**

**Chapter 5.-Preparing War Assets.**

Ambassador Udina of the Hegemony was yelling again. When dealing with him, Tevos had to take a pill for the headache before and after. She wondered whether the Hegemony chose him to be their ambassador for his aptitudes, his connections or just to get rid of him. It was really annoying.

"A Batarian colony was attacked again! It's the third time this year, and the council has done nothing to assist us! Had it been a turian colony, half the citadel forces would have been dispatched."  
>"Had it been a turian colony, ambassador Udina."Commented Sparatus with a ring of anger."The attack most likely would have taken place near to the citadel or many important targets, not the void worlds of the traverse, so close to the Terminus Systems. There's a reason we don't colonize those worlds."<br>"And you leave us with only those worlds, councilors, you aren't respecting the Hegemony as its-"  
>One of his aides, a distant cousin who needed a job, passed a datapad to the ambassador.<p>

"By the stones of Kar'Shan!" The surprise of the ambassador was genuine and had a touch of fear."They have attacked the Shan'Xi system, from the dormant relay, the cities are under siege!."

Now thing changed a lot. One thing was a pirate raid. Another thing was that the attack came from a dormant relay. Activating relays without permission of the council was a grave crime, but the thing was that a new civilization was activating them without any kind of control (at least they didn't believe their actions were kept under check) and then attacking the citadel citizens.  
>"This may be a new Rachni Wars."Muttered Councilor Jondum."And what we have here."Soon after reading the documents the councilor paled."A two kilometer vessel!?"<p>

"Size doesn't make might, it may be twice a dreadnought, but this problem can be solved by sending three dreadnoughts against him."Pointed confidendly Sparatus.

"I think we must ponder over all ramifications."Said councilor Valern." A two kilometer ship, running on eezo, means one of two things: a) they are a highly rich civilization with massive amounts of resources b) they are a highly advanced civilization who have learned to greatly optimize eezo drives. There would be a c) answer which would be a mix of the two. But I think we are facing the b) case."  
>"Don't see why you say so."<p>

"Simple, a civilization so rich in resources wouldn't just send a fleet consisting on a super-dreadnought, a cruiser and three frigates. My guess-note I'm just elaborating, nothing of what I'm saying here is a certain fact- is that their civilization is highly advanced but focused more on research, development than colonization. This would explain why we never encountered them and why they are attacking on sight: they might be running out of resources and need desperately a new world. That's why they send one of their most powerful ships and, most likely, have organized several parties like this one."

Everybody seemed rather convinced by the Salarian's explanation. Of course he might be utterly wrong, but his explanation at least was plausible. And basing their course of in that hypothesis might serve them.

"We must act swiftly."Sentenced Sparatus."Opening relays is a grave crime, but most of all, it implies a great danger. And more important than that, they are attacking citadel citizens, we cannot allow that."  
>"So how many fleets you will send?"Asked Udina in his usual petulant demeanor.<p>

* * *

><p>As per orders of Councilor Sparatus and the others, the seventh turian fleet and the salarian fourth would be dispatched. They would count with the support of seven companies of Asari commandos and the batarian second fleet, plus fifteen spectres. All in all they would make nine thousand vessels and three million soldiers. Such a force hadn't been seen since the days of the krogan rebellions and the rachni wars. Tevos argued that with a deployment that big they might rescue Shan'Xi from the invaders, dubbed the "Titans" by military forces, but they would have to fend of the retaliation from the Terminus Systems, as alarmed they would be from that sudden deployment.<p>

In charge of the forces would be General Desolas Arterius and Admiral Gorlak of the Hegemony. Two highly condecorated commanders with great skills. That would give confidence to the troops, alarmed to fight an unknown enemy. That and the galvanizing campaign that took place on the media. At the moment of the departure the citadel news was doing a full coverage.

" Good afternoon dear spectators,Avina Tassalia from the Citadel News to serve you. Right now we are on the citadel docks were our valiant forces are marching to defend the citadel sovereignity."  
>Many soldiers when seeing the cameras waved hands, calling for their friends and family. All of them were fired up, ready to defend the principles they held most dear. General Desolas gave a great speech that was greeted by a deafening applause and ovations.<p>

War was starting, and, since the comm buois were shut down on the Shan Xi system, the humans could do nothing to stop what they began.

* * *

><p>Shanxi city had surrendered when news came from the defeat of the other settlement. By the time Darnan's reinforcements arrived, General Willam himself gave his cerimonial blade to Felix in signal of surrender. The scion of Harkund nodded sternly while he let his imagination and ego fly free. It was his first true conquest, by himself and a force commanded by him alone after all. Fortunately it lasted only a few seconds, his spartan training with Sigmar imposing rigor again. But pride remained, nonetheless. Pride for him, for his deeds, and his mens' actions.<p>

Two years and five months ago he had participated on the liberation of Earth. For his skills, age (he was scheduled to have a command half a year before that until certain...issues happened) and courage he had been given the chance to lead a force of his own choosing. He then toured earth's graveyards, picking the most ruthless soldiers he could pick: chinese soldiers of the Spring and Autumn period, samurais, zulu impies, Afghan Sharpshooters, mongols, vikings and cossacks. And most of all, soldiers from france and germany from the WWI. All of them killed in action. He then put his cabal to rise them again, to teach them and adapt that lot of nutcases. At first he thought it would be like a game, but the thing was, he had come to love and cherish each of his men. They in return gave him his confidence, his loyalty and unwavering faith. Felix would face a whole army for his, and the Deadmen would defy the whole world for him if need be. It was an honor.

His AIs were working hard on what they could get from the 'extranet'. The batarians formed part of an UN of sorts, the Citadel. This federation had clearly the traits of a xenophobe, oligopolistic, conservative regime: species kicked out because they didn't agree to their decisions and then left to die; prohibition of determined scientific themes, such as AIs; Only three out of a dozen or so did the ruling; control of each country's military in favor for the head honchos... the list of woe went on. Already with the ban of AIs Felix knew mankidn would never mingle well with them. Sure, the Quarians reacted to their sentient AIs much like the humans in their time.

Like the Quarians, mankind tried to anhilate the machines. But Ohrian soon saw that was wrong. Instead of keeping the fight he went towards the Directorium, the ruling council formed by all the AIs, and begged forgiveness for his actions, and asked if they would willingly accept full citizenship. And the organics were the ones winning by a long shot the war! Later that kindness was repaid during the civil war, a hundred millenia ago, when the territories where the AIs had mainly settled served as a haven for refugees. No one who came found a shut door. And the last president of the Republic had been an AI.

He didn't know it, but his guesses that trouble would soon ensue weren't wrong.

Bai Qi commanded the first great company, the Iron Guard. He was the most experienced and lauded of Felix commanders. During his career as a Qin general he conquered a hundred cities and never lost a battle. And he was damn prideful with that. Felix knew him, and when thing looked dire, he ordered always that Bai Qi and his forces retreated. Not that he always paid attention. In more than one ocasion his sudden appearence and that of his men had flipped the tables. He was after all, a great general. He too feared the conflict, and said so to his commander. Since Darnan had ordered him to hold their new colony, he had but one possible strategy.  
>Felix had taken a lecture from his tutor, the deceased Sigmar Hoffman, at heart: pay attention to your underlings' opinions, often doing what they say is a better course of action and saves you the effort of thinking.<br>He ordered the reinforcements to disembark and prepare proper fortifications.

War was most likely coming.

**Okay, here ends the chapter and I want to say a few things outside the Codex entry: first, I'm basing the turian numbers in the fact that they are the main patrolling force in the galaxy. The quarians, with 50.000 vessels have the biggest fleet (not navy), so my guess is that the turians, at best, can field 30.000 vessels, and the asari and salarians can field a third (both are said to never meet their quotas) and the batarians a sixth of that.**

**Secondly, comm buois are shut down and they aren't back operational yet. The fleet of the citadel will come in three days.  
>Thirdly, to the reviewer Somuchgerry: Never heard of Forsithe but after seeing his wikipedia entry I want to read him. <strong>

**Forthly, I think I will put tons of Humanity Fuck Yeah! for those who don't know what the hell is that, go and write those words on 1d4chan.**

**Fifthly: mankind here boasts what in the halo-lore would be a tier-1 level of technology, but a really early one. They can do great things but they are really strained by the toll it takes. As such, it takes them a lot more of time to make those dyson spheres the Forerrunners made. They could be said to be on a transition between tiers.**

** Codex primary entry: Human military.**

**Mankind is one of the oldest galactic civilization and as such, it has a rich military tradition. Thousands of generals have won millions of battles, and lost millions of fights, under its banners. If you name a scenario, most likely you will find at least a dozen examples in human campaigns.**

**Mankidn boasts one of the mightiest armies in the galaxy, its manpower counted by billions. But despite its massive numbers, every soldier is issued state-of-the-art equipment. For atmospheric combat they use railgun rifles or machine guns and laserrifles for void combat. Plasma weapons are the favorite choice for heavy weapons experts, both on land and in space. All soldiers are used a triarii pattern armor, highly similar to the most iconic representation of a roman legionnaire's armor, which has glerian-III shields and oxygen generators. Glerian shields can resist at point blank range dozen shoots from the Mharkva-45, the standard issue railgun rifle. That's one of the reasons why soldiers resort often to their power swords, whose disruptor systems debilitate armor effectively. In addition to the armor and weapons, all soldiers are issued a series of augmentations that triplify their resilience, strenght and speed. Some elite forces, like the deadmen are issued to nanomachines that allow for a faster healing and avoiding the need to sleep for a period of time ( it's not recommended to spend more than a whole week without sleep) and xiphenite (an alloy that can be made so thin that reaches the level of graphene) in form of plates to protect the vitals.**

**For amored warfare, humans favor mobility, prefering flyers and light tanks, or vehicles, to heavy armored units. Nonetheless, the human military boasts some strong first-line heavy tanks, like the Kataphract-40.**

**Attrition warfare is frowned upon, save when defending high key locations. Human generals aren't recalcitrant to cede terrain but, if they can help it, they will bunker down and bleed the enemy while other allied forces have time to organize an attack.**

**Magicians are present too, and play a great role on military campaigns.**

**Codex secondary: the Cabals.**

**All sentient being has latent powers for magic. If said powers are activated via a strong shock (and the subject survives) he becomes a mage. Power and ability vary from individuals, but the military generally chooses only those that were 'awakened' young, for those are the ones with more talent. Generally speaking, the awakening is practiced at age eight, yielding still a great prospect for more power but without putting in danger the youngster's life. Still, the Harkunds' awaken their offspring between the four and six years. While this allows to a far greater malleability and escalation of power it has serious risks for the subjects. Even surviving (the odds being off survival being 1:3) the subject suffers serious damage. Said damage can be temporal or lifelong. Prize, comes at a prize.**

**This last sentence is spoken often by the cabals, the military unit formed by the mages alone. Often mages serve too in regular military units, but covens are formed only by sorcerors, and only the best of those selected can enter they ranks (if they are willing). Generally speaking a division will have a cabal ranging from 50 to a hundred sorcerors. Cabals are independent from one division from the other, obeying only the orders of their generals and, indirectly, the orders of their superiors.**

**Each cabalite soldier is issued a tartaros armor, a highly resistant set of armor capable of withstanding, minimum, a 1-megaton bomb. The secret of this resistance lies in the spells aplied. Said spells, that harden the armor and boost the shielding, are really time consuming and it's not economic to diffuse them. Even individuals with great power and wealth such as Felix Harkund have troubles to fit elite forces with those armors. Furthere expansion of the spell can amplify the resistance treshold, but each expansion is more costly than the previous.  
>When in combat, sorcerors, contrary to common culture, don't favour staffs or wands, instead they go to battle wielding power axes with plasma coating or hammers fitted with magnetic repulsers (like a handportable MAC) or, master crafted and enchanted powerswords.<strong>

**Cabalites (or sorcerors) are expected to take a lot of care for their gear, more than regular soldiers. Should a soldier lose their railgun rifle, he will be fined. Should a cabalite lose its hammer, unless for a really good reason, will be flogged, or even executed in case the commander is extremely disciplinary. For the cabalite equipment is more valuable than a grunt's.**

** End of the codex entry.**

**And yes, I'm picking warhammer 40k idea of power weapons. They stole them from stawars anyways.**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter's codex enty will be dedicated to how OP is a Jormungandr-class vessel.**

**Chapter 5.- The war of the worlds.**

**Xil Pandrag. 7th of may.**

On the surface, Fleet admiral Darnan observed how the settlement flourished. Thanks to the massive industrial complexes stuffed inside the gargantuan vessel's hull, they got several buildings ready. In three days they had enough housing for ten thousand persons, plus entertainment buildings and factories were they would work. But the most impressive proof of the Jormungandr's might was the place where he was observing the new built city: Fort Pandrag, a four story building with numerous pattlements, gunports, supplu depots,etc, all that was needed to allow a whole brigade its proper functioning.

Darnan shifted his attention to the reports from their first colony, Shanxi, as it was written by Felix. According to the reports the new world hosted a population of 300.000 batarians, with a military force of 6.000 native soldiers who owed their alleigance to the Batarian Hegemony, a client state of a supranational organization named the Citadel. When descriptions of the hegemony and the citadel, as well as details of their more controversial policies, Darnan couldn't help but frown. He didn't like at all what he was readying.

Essentially the Harkunds were a military dictatorship or a absolute monarchy, depending on who you asked. But at least they were honest about it, they said it clearly and held dearly the peoples needs. In words of Ohrian: I will strip my people from all power, in exchange I shall be their caretaker. The citadel masked, under the names cooperation and union, a regime of oppression, subtle and mild perhaps, but oppression nonetheless. It was like someone brought you a glass of piss and said it was champagne.

And everything regarding the first contact... this batarians gunning their fleet, Felix taking such drastical measures (how prideful Sigmar would be, but still he was going to get a good scolding and a war council if he could help it). It was the recipe for a disaster they might not be ready to face. They wouldm need time to win the war, even if they wanted to use all means. If Darnan gave the order, the fleet's cloning facilities at full power could give him a million soldiers per month, but the just didn't have the production to equip and grease such a machine for a sustained period. He needed a diplomatic solution. But he needed his bargain chip, Shanxi. So he decided to send a hefty reinforcement.

Little knew Darnan that things had gone out for anyone's control.

* * *

><p>On shanxi, the humans didn't have the jormungandr facilities, so they had to improvise most of their defenses and recicled whatever they could from their conquered subjects. Temujin couldn't help but feel contempt from these 'batarians': they were ugly as fuck and they were sheeps afraid from battle, cowards that hid behind the stonewalls. If war was up to him, he would only base it on tanks or airplanes. The early fourteenth century raider became quickly a fanatic of mechanized warfare. Tanks and cars weren't carts, they had speed and allowed for freedom, like mounting a steel stallion. He loved the feeling of flying, to cross the sky while seeing how earth changed.<br>And he loved battle, for that he was grateful towards the young Harkund. Most men on the Deadmen idolized their commander, and it was understandable: most of them had been men doomed to a life of either starvation or misery. None of the middle ages men had ever seen running water or plumbing, nor cars or any of the technical wonders that the future had gifted mankind. He still had trouble understanding everything and knew his commander didn't have problems with that: if one of the deadmen got in trouble, Felix mediated and then imparted his own justice. Another point in his favor, Felix cared for his troops wellbeing, he always tried to keep well supplied and content. Back in the past, most of the commanders saw soldiers as 'cannon fodder'.

Among his relationships, Temujin had grown fond of Olaf, commander of the second great company, the Blood Hounds. The Steel Riders, his third great company, worked wonders with them and had a good relationship. Of course, all the great companies got along, but there were favourites. This way, the Iron Guard of Bai Qi worked brilliantly with the Red Company of Khessios and Atalanta's nutcases. Separated, the companies were a force to be reconned, grouped in the factions he had named, they were a migthy enemy. But there was the main point in Felix favour: he managed to bring them together, he listened to them, made concessions and acommodations; Felix made his best to have his men goodwill and in return all the Deadmen worked together for him. Together, they were unstopable, he was sure of it. Nothing could stop them save for-

"Sir, I lost the left eye again."  
>"Dammit Jenkins, stop getting shot! Okay, close your right eye and try to see throught your severed left eye."<p>

"MMmmm...it's a dark place."

There we go. Since they were dead already, and their armors ameliorated the pain, their soldiers were not prime examples of self-preservation. And Felix wasn't a cautious (in the sense he wanted to avoid damage) man, even when he had been 'alive'. As such, heavy wounds and severed limbs reached astronomic numbers. He didn't mind much it, but it was bothersome trying to find whose spleen was which.

* * *

><p>"Soldiers!"Yelled Desolas from the communicator."We are inbound to attack the enemy in two hours! In two hours, we will liberate a citadel world!"<p>

"I'm sure you heard the news: they are from a dormant relay, which they activated without council permission."Desolas ignored the fact that they had no way to know the legal dispositions of the council."They are a danger for the galaxy, for they don't understand nor follow its proper rules."Again he willingly omitted the truth."But most important of all, they attacked a citadel world without previous reason or warning."Again, Desolas omitted the fact that the footages provided by admiral Gorlan showed that the batarians began all this mess, he didn't care.

"You make me proud soldiers! I see you and I see no fear, no vacilation. I sea determination, courage and righteous anger upon this barbaric invasion!"  
>"We will push them, we will get them out of shanxi and will bring the just retribution to their worlds! And most of all, by doing so, we will say NO to the tirany of warmongers who attack their neighboors for no reason, we will say No to those who trample our freedom, we will say NO to those who disregard peace!"<p>

Desolas went on an on, praising his troops courage and brown. He recalled their families and duty, he inspired their motivations. Most of his speech was sincere, for he believed in their cause, only that he hoped to take a good benefit from the vanquished worlds. He was a bit mundane in that matter.

* * *

><p>Accross the shanxi system, the human AIs had detected the spikes of energy emerging the relays. According to their intelligence, those spikes were due to ships using the relays. By the numbers they were getting it meant they had a full scale invasion on their hands, probably more than 5.000 vessels, but not enough to reach the 10.000, since they were still receiving updates they could only guess.<br>At that time, the human fleets numbered a total of 3 cruisers, a carrier, six frigates and 10 corvettes. Quiting the crews from the equation, the planet's defense force consisted in 90.000 soldiers. Felix rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a slaughter.

Already, the other side began to shoot. They couldn't reach them, but that wasn't their intent. It was a declaration of war.

For a few seconds he remained silent, inmobile. His soldiers looked at him, he knew it even with his eyes shut. But he needed his total s focus, to find the correct words for his men. They may or may not need them, but he would damn give them a Motherfuckingly legendary speech. He opened the eyes again.

"Men, look at the sky, look at where thousands of flashes of light appear, those are the enemy." Felix looked a moment his datapad to check his intelligence reports, for names, mostly." They are the citadel, a covenant of species lead by the mighty turians, ever disciplined soldiers who never break the line, the salarians, brilliant and crafty scientists and intelligence agents, and the asari, powerful huntresses with a strange power called biotics. A dozen species rank below them in that covenant."

"They outnumber us, greatly too, and perhaps they may outgun us. But you know what?"Now he nearly roared."We WON'T GIVE A DAMN!"

"If they send the salarians, we pit our scientists and AIs, let's see how they outwit them; if they send the turians then we pit the Deadmen and the Horland Company-the Horland Company was an elite force too-,let's see how they hold the line them; if they send the asari we pit our cabals and special forces, let's see how they overpower them; if they send the lightweights then we send the lightweights and hammer them both from land and orbit. And if they damn throw everything, We throw EVERYTHING against them too!"

Now Felix words were deafening drowning the other voices and replacing any other thought.

"YOU ARE THE SONS OF TERRA, SURVIVORS WITHOUT EQUAL, NO MATTER WHAT THEY SEND, WE SHALL PREVAIL!"

With those words, the battle of Shan'Xi, the real battle of Shan'Xi, began. And so did the First Contact War.

**Codex: the Jormungandr-Class fortress vessels.**

**During the middle stages of the human conquests across the galaxy, Ohrian the first founf three pressing matters: 1) his supply lines often were broken or took to long to reach his armies 2) his navies suffered too many losses during the assault of shield worlds (which were at the crossroads of many routes) 3) he had numerous problems to replenish his armies numbers.**

**After expermimenting and numerous failures, the Imperial R&D department came with a promising model: the Jormungandr. This behemoth measured (measurements are on the 1st chapter) what amounted to a small planet, with a firepower that equalled whole fleets. But the jewel of the crown was its main weapon: the apophis lance. The Jormungandr use for energy a microstar. Said star ought to live for close a million years but an active sevice Jormungandr needs to 'refuel' every millenium or so, due to the massive consume made. And one of the prime reasons for this is the fact that the apophis lance launches a small fragment of said star at high pressure and speed with every shot. Equally daunting are the other pieces of its arsenal. Its secondary, tertiary and auxilliary guns are literally the main guns of the human battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers respectively. Finally there are a total of ten thousand suport guns, sporting a power similar to a frigate's main gun.**

**A Jormungandr is often thought as a burdersome heavy hitter, far from truth: its high yield energy source allows to use a drive so powerfull that gives this monster the speed of a cruiser.**

**What is most frightening is the ability of a Jormungandr to wage war independently. Fully staffed, this ship has close to a billion crewmen, including a civilian detail that mans a industrial base equal to twice the GDP of all Earth's nations during the early 21st century (post crisis).**

**The downside of this vessels is their building rate. They are boast the smallest numbers amongst the fortress class vessels, so their commanders must be utterly careful with them, for the construction of a jormungandr supposes a great consume of resources, even to a rich and advanced civilization with so many holdings like mankind.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6.-Bombs away.**

The citadel fleet's numbers were staggering. Over nine thousand vessels! Fortunately they fielded small crafts, mostly corvette or frigate tonnage, with very few that could enter the destroyer rank (a dozen at best). Captain Braford, XO of the Argos and deputy commander of the orbital forces, had three cruisers and a carrier, which could prove to be an invaluable asset. For what he could see, their lasers had twice the enemies' range. That meant that their three plasma cannons (one per cruisers) had four times their reach and the same firerate. Simulations showed that a clean hit, not a glancing one like the one during the first encounter, could blast appart one of the 'batarian' frigates. The turian and the other races vessels?, well, they were going to find it anyway. Trial and error isn't it?

By the time the enemy fleets were on range for the missiles, each plasma cannon had fired at least twenty times, roughly sixty two shots flew towards the citadel fleet, missing only a third. The citadel vessels were incredibly maneuverable but in such a packed space, it was hard to miss. Of the remaining forty one shots, nineteen weren't clean, so if they hit anything above the size of a citadel corvette wasn't outright destroyed. The remaining one hit square on twenty two frigates, which all were engulfed in a ball of fire. Three corvettes were caught in those balls of fire too, plus the seven that were outright destroyed by the other nineteen shots.

By then they were on the missiles reach. All the vessels launched their stocks of intelligent missiles. Intelligent, in sort of a way. They were capabel of doing quite intrincate maneuvers, elaborate speech and thought, the problem was...

"Sir we are receiving multiple messages!"  
>"What is it?"Asked Admiral Vasalt of the turian fleet."Patch me through.<br>"BITCHES, POINT A HOLE OR I WILL MAKE IT MISELF!"

"I'M READY TO BLOW IT UP BABY!"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY FAGGOTS, THE LADY IS MINE!"

They were all a bunch of retarded douchebags, truly annoying assholes. The other AIs wouldn't miss them. In fact, onec they would explode Cressida and many others would say good riddance to them. And in the process, they destroyed five dreadnoughts and a dozen cruisers, plus ten frigates and as many corvettes, the latter being destroyed mostly to protect the larger vessels or becaus they got caught on the middle of the explosion. The plasma shots had claimed nineteen kills more. Right now the citadel fleet had lost close to a hundred vessels and they weren't on firing range. Surprisingly they couldn't travel faster than light, it was like something jammed the drives. The Glenfield Inhibitor, a system that blocked all FTL movements. Of course, by using it, the humans couldn't go faster than light, but their main advantadge consisted in their slugging power.

Now they were on all the weapons' range. Lasers and ion cannons followed the silent eruptions of light proceeding from the plasma cannons and the mindless roar of the missiles. Everything save the missiles was energy based, and the the enemies' kinetic barriers couldn't halt them, so they went directly to ther armor. Now the firing output was a real deal: each cruiser boasted three ion cannons and ten lasers, each frigate boasted four lasers and each corvette had two laser guns. On the first volley of lasers, close to thirty vessels were downed. By the time the citadel's vessels could get on range, the humans had fired over seventeen voleys, which, by adding the plasma and missile casualties, amounted to 600 vessels destroyed. 700 vessels lost before making contact...

Sparatus, wary of such attrition in such a short time, ordered the fleet to be split in three: 2.000 vessels, mostly troop carriers, would attack the surface, another 2.000 would flank the enemy and the rest would go straight at them, with the remaining dreadnoughts and cruisers.

"Shit, they are splitting up."Pointed Chastix.

"Let them be." Responded Bradford."Spread the fighter screens and order the cabals to do their shows.

At his command, over 2.000 fighters came out of the cruisers, the Domina Nox and the frigates. They were the new model Albatross-22, a needle with a mach 22 speed. Among them was flight liutenant Jeff 'Joker' Moreau's unit. Joker was a veteran from earth itself, with invaluable experience: he had fight the alien invasors right before the reinforcements came. They had been outsped, outgunned and outnumbered, but still they had survived and, much to his pride, had managed to fight the Battle of the Atlantic Ocean, where the air forces of the world united and with the assitance of fighters from the other branch of humanity, the one that had lived in space took down four enemy cruisers on their own. Surely doing the same again wouldn't be more difficult.

"Joker-1 to squadron, do you copy?"

"Joker-2, affirmative."

"Joker-3, affirmative."

"Joker-4, affirmative."

"Joker-5, affirmative."

"Okay, then let's bust some alien ass!"

His fighters sped up, running against the enemy corvettes. Soon enough the enemy fighters joined too, but they were surprisingly few considering the number of vessels. A enemy squadron attacked them and forcef the humans to split. Joker , for a second, turned off the drives, just enough to slow down and let the turian pass, but not long enough to actually halt. Now he was at his tail and shot the fuck out of him. Jeff smiled: he truly was the best pilot here.

Inside the Domina Nox, the master of the cabal from the 999th division, Kaidan Alenko, readied everything. He and his men were prepared to take control of one of the enemies' biggest ships. The process was simple: thanks to the rooms special runes, that acted as catalysts, kaidan and his men would be able to mentally overrun the crew, thus taking effective control of the vessel and picking the enemy by suprise. It was a pity that, out of the 800 cabalites on the system, only a hundred could fight in space, since there were only four rooms like this one, and only a top of twentyfive cabalites could operate on each one.

Silence, it began.

* * *

><p>Captain Tigurius of the Menae's Sword felt a strang irk. His men too, but paid little attention.<p>

"Sir, why are we hitting the humans?"Asked an ensign,though he never heard before the word 'human'.

"Good question, we should be pounding our own men."

"That's right."  
>"Men!Turn around and shoot the closest dreadnought on sight."<p>

This way, a dreadnought and three cruisers would misteriously betray their nations. The volleys were received as a surprise by their former brothers in arms, albeit they wasted less than 2 minutes to counterattack. Nevertheless, over a dozen vessels were lost, including those four.

Kaidan congratulated his men for a good job and scheduled a pause, conquering so many minds was tiresome and he felt like a weasel squashed by a truck.

* * *

><p>"Sir shields are at seventy percent, hull integrity ninety eight percent."<p>

"Sir, enemy 'cruiser' destroyed."

"Flanking fleet has been intercepted by Retribution and group B."

The data feed pleased Bradford. As espected, from the feedback they obtained from the last battle, the enemy guns were inferior to theirs and they did little damage to their shield, which had an excellent recovery time.

"Keep pressing, focus the smaller vessels. One shot, on ship out, I plan to go for the sure."  
>Numbers were this 'citadel' advantage, he planed to quit them from the equation.<p>

"Sir, enemy splinter fleet is landing."

He hoped that Felix knew what to do. Out of the blue, he slapped himself. He and Felix tutor (or foster father, depending on who you asked) had been good friend. He knew well the lad: he would win, he had blind faith on that. The lad was the spitting image of Sigmar Hoffman, Magister Milites of the Harkunds, in character and deed if not in flesh.

* * *

><p>Desolas and General Adrien Victus landed a total of 400.000 soldiers. While Victus, taking a quarter of their forces, would go east, Desolas would go west, to face the enemy general and liberate the capital.<p>

Felix had followed a similar procedure. Most of his troops were on the west, and he commanded them personally. In the east there was a division known as the 1105th, the Red Hunters (pure novices), and two brigades, plus a third of their cabals led by Jack. That harpy better behave herself.

But there was something the turians hadn't predicted. The humans weren't entrenched on the cities, but rather on the field, hidden. They would allow the turians to approach, and shoot a bit to the skeleton garrisons, hidden in the cities and bolstered witha few droids, and then they would hammer them from behind.

It was going to be hilarious, he would love to see their suprised faces. An almost feral grin formed in his face.

**Here ends chapter 6. Before saying anything further, I want to remember people that Earth was blasted to the prehistoric ages long ago and only recently has rejoined the galactic stage.**

**Codex entry: Sigmar Hoffman.**

**At the age of 672 years, Sigmar Hoffman was still one of the most brilliant, innovative and flexible commanders on the galaxy, and, perhaps, the most lauded. Raising from Therios, the great fortress world, he joined the army at age 16. Since then and until his death, he served the Harkund family with zeal, always within the lines of the code of warriors. During his six and a half centuries of service, Hoffman has achieved thousands of victories, and suffered hundreds of defeats, still he always managed to defeat his enemies, and he never lost a single campaign. Across his life many sought his tutelage and a few achieved it: great generals like Napoleon or Rommel learned his tactics and tricks.**

**His personal life, though, is less than perfect: He was married thrice and each engagement was shorter than the previous, and the first barely lasted a year. He had a single son from the second spouse: Tavish. Tavish records are nowhere to be found, so it's presumed that they were expunged and,by extension, he commited a extremely serious crime. The father never talked about him after 1862. The rest of his familiar relationships are not better.**

**On the last years of his live, the Magister Milite (supreme commander of the Harkund armies) was put in charge of raising one of the two existing scions of the family: Felix, the youngest. The akward child proved a great challenge for the general, who put all his efforts to be a good father, this time. Felix Harkund proudly claims that he did the best job anyone could hope for. Many agree: the once strange and utterly isolationist child has evolved into a proud general lauded and respected by his peers.**

**His death during the defense of Earth profoundly scarred the young scion, who vowed to avenge his death and organized his funeral: he was going to be cremated on a pyre,as he wished. And, as stated in his last will, Felix Harkund used a mountain of enemy soldiers' corpses as a pyre.**

**At the funeral attended next to all the most lauded commanders accross the galaxy, many of whom had fought with or against him. Still all of them came to respect and, perhaps, admire him. This act halted for five days the war. According to the present accounts all of them saluted the general a last time while the pyre burnt.**

**"To be a general means something: you have to make sure that the minimal amount of your boys get into the killing, less get killed, and still win the day. Otherwise, the days to win will ran short."**

**"The old codger will live forever, that's what I believe. Dozens have tried to outsmart him only to find they had bitten themselves. The man losses battles on purpose only to get ready his killzones. It's said that chess master goes a step ahead the rival, that Napoleon always went twenty ahed his enemies. I say that Sigmar has finished the race before the enemy could start it." Felix Harkund.**

**"Hoffman is dead! Today we drink and laugh! Today we dance and laugh! For that bastard is finally dead! But tonight we shall drink and cry! Tonight we shall mourn and regret! For the best of all us is dead!" Genarl Jagan, commander in chief of the Xirai army.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7.-Clash.**

"Sir, with all permission, let us scare the shit out of them."

Olaf had personally asked this. The burly berseker, fearsome in the battle and mercilees in his multiples raids accross the british army, had a golden mane and saphire eyes. He ought to be a giant in his time, for he was close to two meters in height, towering Felix, who barely made 1.70 meters. Still, the berseker felt a reverential fear for his general. Many people didn't know much about the nordic folk. But chief among their pantheom stood to figures: thor, god of war, battle and sheer manliness (ok, that last one no) and his father, Odin, god of wisdom and magic. Sorcerors were said to be priests of the chief of gods, thus many bersekers had molded quite well to his orders. At first was the idead that doing otherwise might enrage Odin, later for common sense and conviction that having a sorceror was the best way to save your ass. Also, when healing, sorcerors didn't use needles.

"They will blast you to pieces before you can get them, and before you can get to melee range they will pump you full of lead."

"Exactly, which will magnify the scare when we hack them to pieces."

Felix bursted in laughter, one of his nigh-histerical bursts. He tried to calm himself to no avail. When he seemed to stop, he bursted again. He nearly fell flat on the ground.

"Done, tear them appart!" He approved between laughters.

* * *

><p>The citadel fleet clashed against the humans' forces on the sky. In the meanwhile, Desolas and Victus forces advanced against the enemy. Acroos the meadows, with an occasional creek, nothing remarkable.<p>

Save for the enemy force Desolas' scouts just spotted.

"Sir, a 2.000 strong enemy force ahead, no armor nor artillery."

For a moment, Desolas wondered if it was a trap, like they would throw a missile or order an orbital strike. To take down an army group at the cost of two batallions seemed a small price. Still, those two thousand, according to reports, blocked the main route to Shanxi city. So he went for a just decision: he would send tenthousand men and let the rest take positions in case the enemy would try anything.

In charge of the division was General Spartax, a veteran that served with Desolas for a decade. He wouldn't fail.

* * *

><p>Seventy miles east of Shanxi City, both armies clashed. One side were Olaf's men: two thousand soldiers drafted from the nordic bersekers, roman legionanires, afghan sharpshooters, zulu impies,and japanase samurais. All wore the black armor, the Tartaros pattern orichalcum armor that defined the Deadmen. On the breastplate shone with crimson glow the insginia of the Blood Hounds: a red wolf's head.<p>

"Okay bastards! I'm not going to butter you up like the boss does!"He ignored the cries of asshole and jackass coming from the ranks, they were the usual."We are here because those pussies have said that you lack manhood."His men roared in righteous anger."So, what!? Do we prove them right or wrong!?"

"I'm going to kill a hundred enemies!"

"Then I shall kill a thousand!"

"That's the spirit motherfuckers! Onward then!"

* * *

><p>"Sir, the enemy is charging at us, and they appear to be wielding swords and axes and the like!"<p>

Spartax was bemused at the prospect. A civilization so advanced as to have ship mounted energy weapons had to send his soldiers using only hand to hand weapons!? Definitely, this was going to be a trap. So he ordered retreat.

"Tell the men we are going back to headquarters on the-"  
>The flavour of steel and blood halted his commands. Suddenly he felt an unnaturally warmth on the chest. With utmost effort he could see the source: he had been stabbed by a four bladed claw, made of fine silvery metal.<p>

"Nobody is going anywhere sweety."Murmured a ghost, Atalanta of Thebas.

The scout tried to sound alarm only to have his head skewered by one of the Skullhunters still cloaked on his stealth suit.

Felix was right, thought Atalanta. In the end generals are like horses: put a good carrot in front of them and would become predictable. Okay, the enemy force was half what he had expected but something was something.

Seconds latter he could hear the pain of the turians, their screams, their deaths and the strife between the survivors. The Skullhunters just went, chopped the head of an officer and killed one or two more. So, around 4.000 or 5.000 grunts remained, but no one was an officer and no one understood while most of them had just died in a second. Chaos ensued, magnified by the speakers underground shouting curses in basic against each squad of turians. They didn't take long to shoot each other. Before Olaf and his rabble reached them, no enemie was alive. Only corpses and the Skullhunters. Atalanta smiled smuggly, which was a really ugly (even for her standards) expression with that massive scar on her nose, and that missing ear.

"You bitch stole my men their glory and the chance to beat those that questioned their manhood!"  
>"Sorry to prove the turians right, then."<p>

* * *

><p>"Spartax killed...his men too..."<p>

Desolas thought initially that it wouldn't suppose much of a problem, but to experience such casualties... It was worse than their situation on space. The fighting there was so intense that they barely had any communication with the rest of the fleet.

He had to inform Adrien, his men had to be carefull. And that minx Nassana and his commandos. Perhaps they could do something good for a chance.

* * *

><p>Commander Nasssana Thanoptos read the communique from that upstart Arterius. Like the youngster he was, the general panicked over the loss of one of his lousy divisions and an incompetent officer.<p>

She had been a mercenary for a century, as a maiden. After that she went and joined the army and trained for another century, the hardest and most testing century in her half millenia of life. A bunch of primitives, unable to understand principles of cooperation and communication wouldn't matter anything to her and her thousand soldiers. Few could claim to survive the asari commandos, and that fighting a platoon level force. She had a battalion worth. All moving silently across the forest on that region. According to the maps, if they went north, in two hours they would- wait, what was that smell?

"The forest is burning!"

Yes. flames came from west and east, flanking them from south to north. But those pilars of fire, thy ought to be a hundred feet tall! It wasn't natural considering how low were the trees.  
>"Spread and run! C'mon ladies, we cannot waste time!"<br>Her commandos, even with this surprise, maintained composure, marching steadely and tryin to outrun the fire. But there was no way to. For every attempte they tried they only found another fire blocking the exit. Soon enough her soldiers were pinned down in platoon or squad sized groups, surrounded by the fire. After half an hour of running, she asked for an air extraction, but the five choppers were struck down by lightings, with a clear sky!

They were now trapped by fire, which rapidly drew closer. She ordered her commandoes to rise a biotic barrier. That would keep the fire at bay til it ran out of matter to burn. No?  
>Suddenly a raven appeared, placing itself over a burning branch, but without having any harm nor burn. It eyed them.<br>"No, you're totally fucked."  
>With that, the raven exploded and the flames turned white, then they rammed the barrier, cracked it and flailed the asari. Nassana screeched in pain until she was reduced to ashes.<p>

* * *

><p>Far from the outskirts, a dozen persons stared the great forest which had become a massive torch. They were one of the twenty-four groups of cabalites spread across the forest's fringes to supervise the operation.<p>

"You were right Alexei."Said Jack."The blue sluts were here, but was it truly necessary that show? I mean, I feel like I just banged ten guys in a row!"  
>"You gotta admit it was kinda dramatic, their despair, their struggle, the-he sighed while he extended his hand-raven."<br>"Yeah, sure. I guess if I could see the future I could do the same."  
>"Oh, I doubt it milady, you need skills for this!"<br>She arched an eyebrow quizzically. If there was a lady hidden in that armor, that maze of tatoos and those horrid (to Alexei's tastes) golden thingys that surrounded her ears... damn one was a hell of a prospector.

* * *

><p>In the meantime, Victus was dealing with a trench warfare of sorts. The enemy had placed several of the city's fortifications on the field and dug kilometers of trenches. Plus they used several hills on the terrain to act as makeshift fortresses. Each inch came at the cost of a dozen soldiers, perhaps. He still didn't have a report of casualties.<br>Still, he got to admit that those volleys of artirelly were pretty accurate, even from that distance. They got quite good targetting systems there. Still, he outnumered the enemy 3 to 1, so he was forcing his path accross the enemy.

Slowly but steadily, Victus was proving himself as a match for Bai Qi. The Qin soldier grinned, thinking on how much fun he would have. That or he would be thwarted, but shit happens from time to time.

A storm too was about to be issued from the west. Soon the two commanders in chief would face each other.

**And here ends chapter...7? whoa, I'm really fired up!**

**P.D: for reviewer Alucard. I'm just starting boy... I'm just starting.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8.-Into the wolf's maw.**

**"During war, haste is one the worst enemy. I'm not speaking about letting your enemy prepare for a blow, deliver a blow, and wait to years for the other. In war, haste is to move without fully observing the enviroment and in relation to the factors (like enemy assets or climatology). In war you don't have to land barrages of strikes, no, you need to observe, think and then punch were the enemy less expects it. Then, once the opponent is off-guard, you attack more, but never without securing reserve, less be he survives the slugging." Sigmar Hoffman, four treatise of the art of warfare.**

General Victus's men advanced steadily. Reports indicated that they were close to the enemy artillery batteries. An hour or so of combat was all that standed between them. Or so he thought. In war, things never go as expected, so he had to be wary of any possible trick from the enemy.

Meanwhile, the turian blackwatch second platoon fought its way across the maze of trenches. Its commander was Avitus Salerian, a hardened veteran from a score of campaigns. So where his men. Up until now, the enemy resistance had been throughtfully coordinated and strong, using supressing fire constantly and pinpoint airstrikes. Of his thirty men strong platoon, only thirteen were alive after the skirmish. But the prize had been worth it: a prisoner.

Certainly, this barbarians, wielding axes and swords like they were true weapons would be hilarious if it weren't for the scary big guns they had too. Perhaps they were a client race of a more advanced species, which would use them as cannon fodder. It seemed the most plausible explanation to him. But before doublechecking his theory with this...barbarians, they needed the translator pack fully ready, but the techs were taking their sweet time.

"You know, you are going to get raped."

Everyone was silent. The prisoner just now had spoken in their language, with a perfect accent. The ugly being, similar to a mishapen asari with no crests and dark skin instead of blue (and brown fur) smiled croockedly.

"The Horland Company is around here, you know? Nasty bastards. They ain't human, literally. They are Shan Khator, and even among them, they can be considered beasts."

"Ha, nice bluff."Mocked a soldier."But it won't have any-"  
>Blood spattered across the trench, as the Horlanders charged in bursting with their spiker rifles. Each bullet exploded into a swarm of small pellets smeared with acid that corroded both armor and flesh. The turians yelled in pain as they were maimed and mangled. Some tried to put a fight, Avitus first and foremost by killing one of them before being beheaded by one of their reaper knifes.<p>

Fine specimens of their species, the Horlanders were: tall and muscular, nearly seven feet tall, with a grey-dark fur that covered the surface of their bodies and many scars to prove their worth in battle. They wore the reckon black armor, which included stealth systems. All in all, there were thirteen of them, originally being fifteen.

"I'm sergeant Nhadar of the seventh auxiliary company, the Horland Company."Announced the tallest and most intimidating of the soldiers."Are you one of the Deadman?"  
>"Corporal Rupert Krenz, sixth platoon of the 1st great company."<br>"Hmph, and you are those newcomers that are already considered the best of the best? Pathetic."

"Yes, indeed, and one question, liutenant, when will you call the other squad, the one that lurks in the darkness around here."

Nhadar laughed to his heart's content. So he knew his rank and how many men he had? Very funny boy. Perhaps he wouldn't tore his limbs one by one this day.

* * *

><p>As Victus forces advanced, the resistance grew more virulent, the artillery no longer tried to be selective, instead they carpetbombed the zone. If to kill a dozen turians they had to kill as many of their so be it. Victus was apalled at this proceeding. How could they care so little about manpower? Now he felt even more determined to stop them. It was vile and loathsome that treatment.<p>

"Keep moving men! By nightfall we have to take control of the area! I want that artirelly out of combat!"  
>Suddenly there was a commotion on the rearguard. His men were...breaking ranks!? Unbeliavable! Those fine soldiers never lost temper, he knew them well enough from a lifetime of serving on the military. Still, there they were, running away like children scared by the bogeyman.<br>"The dead are rising! They attack us with the dead!" Screeched a soldier.

That made no sense, once you die you are out of the fighting. The general made the turian equivalent of a frown. Then he turned his head and understood the cause of their fear.  
>Several platoons of the downed enemies were charging them. Many of them exhibited great wounds, or severed limbs with fountains of blood spilling and soiling the ground. His eyes were locked on a soldier who had lost his lower jaw, yet still managed, somehow, to exhibit a savage grin.<p>

"Shoot them down men, don't falter!"Alas, even himself was afraid of them.

The enemy kept advancing, relentless and indiferent towards the counter attack. The turians tried to coordinate voleys of rifle fire and pin down the enemy under curtains of armor fire or grenades, to no avail. Many soldiers by now were losing the stomach to fight. How you kill something that ought to be feeding worms by now? And let's not speak about the picture they made. Gore directors would love to have them on their teams. And the manic laughter that came from some of them. Truly it was madness.

The artillery intensified again, blowing friend and foe alike. But while the turians didn't rise again, the enemy kept going back to mangling them with an even scarier appearence. Also, they began to bomb them with toxic and hallucinogen gases. It was a pure attack of shock and awe.  
>Things went further downhill when the Horland and other Shan Khator companies came to the meele with their spiker rifles and tresher cannons, a more powerful and heavier version of the spiker cannon with a really disturbing and potent sound. Those weapons finished the turian morale<p>

After half an hour, the turian soldiers began to do something unheard about: they surrendered en masse. Victus would do so, after seeing most of his soldiers couldn't fight, nor wanted to.

* * *

><p>At the top of the hill, Bai Qi smiled to himself. He had done a goddam good job. First by making this fortifications, inspired in his famous earth forts during the Spring and Autumn period. Then for how he had defeated the enemy with a ratio of 5:1 in his disadvantage. Yes, those two brigades of regular soldiers were virtually anhilated, and the division (red hunters? no, that wasn't his namy) had lost around half its manpower. Still, it was a good killing ratio: 3:1. In addition there were the prisoners, of which a few hundreds (or thousand depending on their moods) would die 'accidentally' under the Shan Khator custody.<p>

Bai Qi lost no time and contacted general Felix. The eastern threat had been neutralized but, as Bai Qi predicted, it took them too long. Save for the air units in the Steel Riders, his soldiers wouldn't make in time to pincer the enemy. Not that it mattered. Felix had prepared a few nasty surprises. Nasty, by the Deadmen standards. What he had done here today was standard.

**Codex primary entry: Auxiliary forces.**

**During the days of the first empire, all races stood under one banner. This way most species settled freely across the galaxy, the major exception being the misterious 'core-race'. After the collapse of the empire, many polities took its place, all of them led by a certain species. Still, communities belonging to the other species existed, and most of them molded to the new reality. This way, one can find xirai in human space or humans in xirai space. Still on all polities the races other than the dominant one are relegated to auxiliary roles: such as reccon, terror tactics or heavy support.**

** Codex secondary entry: Shan Khator auxiliary forces.**

**The Shan Khator are a feline predatorial species original to the planet Gheturna, infamous for its thick jungles. This species is infamous for its violent and unpredictable character. Those militaries willing to employ them as auxiliary generally put them as heavy infantry, to wreck havoc on the front lines, or as commando forces, where they act as hunters and saboteurs, leaving bloody paths behind them. Thought unruly, the Shan Khator will be the first option for commanders who have earned their respect, for they are excellent troops for dire situations.**


	10. Hiatus

I'm officially putting into hiatus this fic. Why? Because I'm too busy working on the actual novel this pseudo-crosover is partially based on. The original work is posted in scribophile, if someone is interesting.


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